station sowing

[Svea]

hello collective ;)

i have been station sowing a few of my brassicas, i.e. rather than scatter them on the seed tray, have sowed into deeper pots, little hole, two or three sedds to the hole.

all seeds seem to have germinated so now the question: when does one remove the 'weaker' seedlings? i.e. at what stage (first true leaves? earlier? right away?)

many thanks
svea

[Svea]

[tim]

Scatter?? Who ever suggested that?

Weaker ones?
My thoughts are that you remove the unwanted ones as soon as you can. And that means - are all the seeds germinating? -  are all the seedlings of the same size? More often than not, you take out the bigger ones, which have overgrown through neglect, so that you have even growth.

AND - while we are about it - sowing small seeds? Mix carrots with sand? NO WAY. Just moisten the tip of your finger & touch a seed. Then ease it off into its proper place. An inch away from the next. So easy!!

But I can't do it with celery!!

[philcooper]

Tim,

I'm with you on the "mix it with sand" idea - when you do that you can't see what you've sown.

My Dad was a professional gardener and always sowed seeds straight from the packet by making a clear fold in it and, whilst holding the packet in the palm of the hand (palm downwards) gently tapped the edge of the packet with the forefinger.

If you don't trust yourself with a full packet of seeds tip some onto a small sheet of folder paper and tap it gently (practice over another large piece of paper until you are confident if necessary)

Celery are quite large compared with some of the very fine flower seeds but it works with them all.

You can use the technique to place the seed where you want it, be it station, row or (well spaced) scatter

Phil

[aquilegia]

I never got that thing of mixing with sand. I always thought the seed might just clump together so I'd be sowing loads of seeds in one place and just sand in the rest.

My brassicas are germinating in pots too (well - not surprising - as that's where I sowed them!) I thought the slimey things might eat them before they had a chance if I sowed them in a bed.

Tim - good tip about taking out the big one. I didn't realise. But it makes sense. I've never managed to thin, though. Prefer pricking out as I hate throwing them away!

[Svea]

well i have removed the surplus. by god! have they got long roots on the botton of those tiny plants

how deep will the tap root grow on brassicas, and how does one transplant them into the garden (and at what stage)?

cheers
svea

[aquilegia]

I've been doing a lot of reading up on Brassicas (it's my first year growing them). But someone please correct me if I'm wrong (I want to learn too!)

You plant them out late spring/early summer. You also have to break the tap root at planting out stage so the roots spread sideways and secure the plant more against the wind.

[tim]

1. Transplanting. The teaching used to be that you grew your plants in a seed bed & pulled them out, breaking the tap root. But these days, with plug growing, there seems to be no need. Plants can be from 3" to 6" high, 4-5 leaves. Plant deep & water in well. Ground must be really firm. I never manage this, because I've always recently rotovated! If grown inside, harden off first.

2. When? When ready. If sown in succession from the recommended time, they will tell you when they're ready!  This is usually in the middle of a drought!!

2. Tap roots? Never looked!

[Svea]

thank you, that sounds good.
i am wondering - hardening off is a bit of a chore ;) - if i planted them out under bottle cloches, would that give them time to get acclimatised enough? then remove the cloche after two weeks or so, when plant is established...

svea *on the path to lazy gardening* ;)

[cleo]

Bottle cloches would be fine. The more years I grow the more I wonder about `hardening` off.  I know it is the established `lore` but I get away without doing it all the time.

Am with Tim on deep planting-and I do mean deep-you can bury the bottom leaves.

Stephan

[Svea]

athank you :)

[tim]

Yes, Stephan - we all bypass the old teachings - as needs must!!

Maybe someone should write an up-to-date book? But which of us can keep abreast of science??

[aquilegia]

Great news on the bottle cloches, as I work, I don't have time (or space) to carry everything outside in the morning and bring it in again at night... and I don't have a coldframe (yet - might be getting one of mum's neighbour :D)

[philcooper]

Just a thought on bottle cloches - on a bright sunny day the temp inside will get quite high so watch out for the contents on the first few days after transplanting - the transplants may wilt

Phil

[redimp]

Never bothered with traditional hardening off - I'm a little bit brutal.  I do not know whether it has done me any significant harm.  My biggest problems are with damping off and cats sitting on seed trays.  Everything that survives that also seems to survive suddenly having to cope with the elements (within reason)

[Svea]

well, bottle cloches or other cloches - like aqui i am short on time for such things. my plants have two choices: live, or die :D
that goes for my house plants too.

hmm, last time i sowed cress, they decided death was better though :-\

svea

[ina]

Every time people were talking and agreeing on hardening off I kept mum. It seemed kind of barbaric the way I never hardened off anything. It's just not practical for me as the lottie is a 20 minute bike ride from home. However, I always build a little shelter for the courgette plants from sticks and bubble wrap, like a windbrake around the young plant, early in the season.

Now the truth comes out............there are others who don't harden seedling off hahaha.

[Mrs Ava]

My names Emma, and I am a no-hardener.  If I remember, or am being really clever, then I do, but it isn't long into the season before I run out of room and time, and frequently I will be laying in bed and think 'sh*t, I have left those seedlings out!'  (a romantic me!!)  However, I kid myself that being in sunny Essex where I reakon we have seen the last of the frost (fingers, toes and eyes crossed) I am okay.............................................._{slinking off quietly to a corner}

[tim]

Yes, Phil - I've tried all the 'trickly' methods &, although you can sow thinly, you can't place each seed where you want it.

Once you've done it my way, there's no looking back!  Slower than conventional methods - yes - but no thinning, no wasted seed, stronger plants (no competition) from day one. Especially useful in cell culture.

[markyb23]

Hi everyone,
                    just wanted to say thanks for all the great tips.
The seed sowing and the hardening off were two areas that were bugging me.
     All The Best Everyone-Marky.

[philcooper]

Tim,

As has been said on several other threads, it's what works for you.

If you get used to a method and it works stick with it.

As I said I got my method from my Dad who was taught it as a young gardener in the early 30's and it earned me lots as a lad raising and selling bedding plants - before garden centres

Phil